Acidic Art

They're Children.

Children, screaming Bloody Murder

tears that flood your thighs

But no matter how many times they apologized

you kept going until you saw red;

a mark for proof of punishment

Leaving raw skin that stung worse than a bee

Children, scared to death

at what you might do

or what else you're capable of

even if you'd "never do more than that"

"It's the only way they learn"

?

Yet, you were confused when, 

over time,

the tears started to form before the impact

I call bullshit.

-You stopped-

when I stopped reacting;

silent cries inside my head

clenching my fists, and teeth

waiting for it to be over

at 15 years old.

Guess what happened?

I received different punishments-

things that didn't hurt me,

or mark me.

Still, the first 15 years of stinging

haunt me

like they'll come back, or something

and I Still apologize a lot

as if they truly will at any moment.

The older I get, the more disturbed I become.

No, 

I will not be spanking my kids.

They're children.